THE US PRESIDENT Flashcards
THE US PRESIDENT
THE US PRESIDENT
What are 3 ways the President can check Congress?
- Suggest legislation
- Veto legislation
- Commander in chief of the armed forces
What did Trump ask Congress for in his 2018 State of the Union address?
Money to ‘build a wall’ - border security
How many times did Trump use his veto?
10 times
How may times did Obama and Bush veto a bill?
12 times each
How many times did FDR use the veto?
635
What are the 2 types of presidential veto?
- Regular veto
- Pocket veto
How many pocket vetoes have been used in the 21st century?
0
What did the Biden Administration decide to do in April 2021?
Pull all US troops out of Afghanistan by September 2021
What are 2 ways the President can check the judiciary?
- Nomination of Justices
- Power of the pardon
How many commutations did Obama grant on his last day in office in 2017?
330 - mostly to non-violent drug offenders
How many pardons did Trump issue during his term in office?
143
How many people did Joe Biden grant full pardons at the end of 2022?
6
How many sentences did Biden commute in April 2022?
75
Why did the Republicans refuse to hold hearings on Obama’s nomination to the Supreme Court Merrick Garland?
Obama was in the final year of his final term
Who did Biden nominate to the Supreme Court in February 2022?
Ketanji Brown Jackson
Who were Trump’s 3 nominations to the Supreme Court?
- Neil Gorsuch
- Brett Kavanaugh
- Amy Coney Barrett
PRESIDENCY AND THE CONSTITUTION
PRESIDENCY AND THE CONSTITUTION
What are the 3 requirements for someone to be president?
- At least 35 years old
- US-born citizen
- Resident of the USA for 14 years
What are the 4 sections in Article II of the Constitution?
I - Nature of the Presidency
II - Powers
III - Responsibilities
IV - Impeachment
What is the president in control of?
The federal bureaucracy
How many people are employed by the executive branch, including the military?
4 million
What are 5 enumerated powers of the President?
- Commander in chief
- State of the Union address
- Appointments
- Pardon
- Veto legislation
What are 4 implied powers of the president?
- Establish a cabinet
- Executive agreement
- Executive orders
- Executive Privilege
What Amendment limits the president to 2 terms?
22nd Amendment
What does the 25th Amendment clarify?
Clarifies the line of succession and the procedure for an incapacitated president
FORMAL POWERS OF THE PRESIDENT
FORMAL POWERS OF THE PRESIDENT
What are the 3 options a president has when a bill arrives at his desk?
- Sign the bill
- Veto the bill
- Take no action
What did Biden sign into law 7 weeks into his presidency?
American Rescue Plan Act
What was the American Rescue Plan Act that Biden signed into law?
A $1.9 trillion economic stimulus plan designed to combat the pandemic and begin repairing the nation’s frayed social safety net
What significant act did Trump sign into law on the 22nd December 2017?
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017
What significant bill did Biden sign into law in November 2021?
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
How much money was in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act?
$1.2 trillion
When did Biden sign the Chips and Science Act into law?
9th August 2022
How much of the $280 billion in the Chips and Science Act was committed to developing the semi-conductor industry to compete with China?
$52 billion
What was the significant piece of legislation Obama signed into law?
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act 2010 (Obamacare)
What did Joe Biden say about the Inflation Reduction Act he signed into law, which was America’s largest ever commitment to combating climate change?
That the new law is ‘not just about today, its about tomorrow’
How much did the Inflation Reduction Act grant in subsidies to green technology in the United States?
$369 billion
Who were very worried about the Inflation Reduction Act?
The European Union - wanted the US to extend the grants to EU companies
What was Obama’s final veto?
The Justice Against the Sponsors of Terrorism Act
What legislation did Trump veto in December 2021 which was overturned by Congress?
The National Defense Authorization Act 2021
What did Trump do hours after threatening to veto a $1.3 trillion spending bill?
He signed it into law
How many vetoes has Biden used?
5
What was Biden’s first veto?
He vetoed the repeal of a Labor department rule that permitted retirement investing tied to environment and social goals - bill would have prevented consideration of certain factors when investing retirement savings
What was Biden’s 2nd veto?
He vetoed a resolution that would have rescinded his administration’s hallmark water rule - would have de-regulated much of the waterways
What was Biden’s main focus on in his 2022 State of the Union address?
The war in Ukraine
How much was Ukraine given in aid in December 2022?
$45 billion
What was a success of Obama’s State of the Union Address?
The Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act - protection of gay rights
What did Trump claim about the economy in his 2020 State of the Union address?
‘Our economy is the best it has ever been’
What did Biden say was a threat to US sovereignty in his 2023 State of the Union address?
China
What had happened the same week as Biden’s State of the Union address?
Chinese spy balloon shot down
What 2 things did Biden call for in his 2023 State of the Union address?
- Cooperation between Democrats and Republicans
- Insulin to be capped at $35 - said big pharma would still do well
What did Biden urge Congress to ban in his 2023 State of the Union address?
Assault weapons
What did Biden criticise in his 2023 State of the Union address?
Putin’s war in Ukraine
What did Biden say the US stood for in his 2023 State of the Union address?
The ‘defense of democracy’
Why did some Republicans boo Joe Biden in his 2023 State of the Union address?
He said some Republicans want to scrap Medicare and Social Security
What did Biden say he wanted to cut the debt by in his 2023 State of the Union adderss?
Another $2 trillion
How many officials does the president have the power to appoint?
Around 4000
How many appointments need Senate confirmation?
1200
Who did Joe Biden nominate to the Supreme Court?
Ketanji Brown Jackson
What was the vote in the Senate on the confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson?
53-47
Who did Trump appoint as the Secretary of State in 2018?
Former CIA director Mike Pompeo
What did former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo refuse to acknowledge?
Biden’s election victory - said there would be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration
How many recess appointments did Bill Clinton make?
139
What did Trump threaten to do in April 2020 in regards to recess appointments?
He threatened to adjourn Congress so he could make recess appointments in response to the pandemic
What 2014 Supreme Court case invalidated 3 of 4 of Obama’s recess appointments in January 2012?
‘NLRB v Canning’ - 2014
Who did Biden nominate as Director of the Office of Management and Budget in November 2020?
Neera Tanden
What did Neera Tanden call Mitch McConnell on twitter and what did she compare Ted Cruz to?
- ‘Moscow Mitch’
- Compared Ted Cruz to a vampire
How many tweets did Neera Tanden delete?
1000 tweets
What Democrat senator opposed the nomination of Neera Tanden, forcing the nomination to be withdrawn on the 2nd March 2021?
Joe Manchin
What are the 4 main things included in executive power?
- Executive orders
- Executive memoranda
- Presidential proclamations
- Signing statements
How many executive orders has Biden signed as of 1st June 2023?
115 executive orders
How many presidential memoranda has Biden signed as of 20th April 2023?
134 presidential memoranda
How many presidential proclamations has Biden signed as of 1st June 2023?
453 presidential proclamations
What was Biden’s first executive order? *13985
Direct reversal of Trump’s regulatory approval process
How many of Biden’s first 60 executive actions were direct reversals of Trump policies?
24
What Biden executive order increased the minimum federal wage of federal contractors to $15 per hour?
Executive Order No. 14026
What Biden executive order implemented the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act?
Executive Order 14052
What was Trump’s first executive order?
Minimizing the Economic Burden of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
What was Biden’s first executive memorandum?
Preserving DACA - addressed to the Attorney General Secretary of Homeland Security
What was Trump’s 3rd executive memorandum, on the 23rd January 2017?
Regarding the withdrawal of the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership Negotiations and Agreement
What are executive memoranda?
The delegation of tasks that Congress has given to the president to members of his executive branch
What is a signing statement?
A statement issued by the president regarding a bill that he has just signed into law
What did Obama say after signing the National Defense Authorization Act 2011 into law despite having concerns?
That they wouldn’t oppose the bill in order to ‘avoid constitutional conflict’
What is the most famous presidential proclamation?
Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation 1863
What is the only thing that a president cannot pardon?
Impeachment
What is a commutation?
The ability of the president to reduce the sentence issued for a crime
What did President Ford and President Carter pardon hundreds of thousands of men for?
Evading the Vietnam War draft
How many pardons did Trump grant?
143 pardons
How many commutations did Trump grant?
94
What two deals did Obama negotiate?
-Iran Nuclear Deal
- Paris Climate Agreement
What is required for a treaty to be ratified?
2/3 vote in the Senate
Why did the Senate not vote on the Paris Climate Agreement?
It was an executive agreement
What was the 2020 Doha agreement?
Agreement signed between the United States and the Taliban, brought an end to the 2001-2021 war in Afghanistan
INFORMAL POWERS OF THE PRESDIENT
INFORMAL POWERS OF THE PRESIDENT
What is the US cabinet made up of?
The heads of the 15 executive departments
Who is the Secretary of the Treasury in Joe Biden’s cabinet?
Janet Yellen
What role did Janet Yellen hold from 2014 to 2018?
The Chair of the Federal Reserve
Who is the Attorney General in Joe Biden’s cabinet?
Merrick Garland - former circuit court judge
Who was Donald Trump’s Secretary of the Treasury?
Steven Mnuchin
What was Steven Mnuchin’s former role?
CEO of One West Bank
Who was Obama’s Secretary of the Treasury?
Tim Geithner - former President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York
How did Tim Geithner respond to the 2008 financial crisis?
He introduced the Financial Stability Plan, which committed billions of dollars to a ‘lending initiative’ to try and boost the economy
What did Bill Clinton say he wanted his cabinet to look like?
America
Who was forced to resign as Secretary of Defense in 2015 due to disagreements over Guantanamo Bay?
Chuck Hagel
What is a quote from Professor Richard Neustadt about a president’s power of persuasion?
‘The power of the presidency is the power to persuade’
When did Obama appeal directly and morally to Congress?
2013 Rose Garden Speech
What is a ‘bully pulpit’?
A strong and significant platform from which the president can advance his policy
What did Biden promise to do if Republicans passed anti-abortion legislation when campaigning in midterms?
He would ‘veto it’
What did Joe Biden tell the UN General Assembly about the war in Ukraine?
That the war was ‘chosen by one man’
What did Obama’s deputy chief of staff Messina call senators to do?
Ensure they would still vote for Sonia Sotomayor after a difficult quote came to light in her confirmation hearings
Who did Obama have telephone and private meetings with in order to advance his legislative agenda?
Republican Speaker John Boehner
What are 2 constitutional powers of the VP?
- Take over the role of president if necessary
- Cast the deciding vote in the event of a tie in the Senate
What was VP Dick Cheney responsible for creating?
‘A new doctrine in which the president was accountable to no one in his decisions as commander in chief’
Why did George Bush invite Tony Blair for a meeting in 2002?
To help him convince VP Dick Cheney that they should go through the UN before invading Iraq
How many tie-breaking votes did Mike Pence cast in his first year in office?
6
What did Kamala Harris make a speech about on the 22nd January 2023?
About the 50th anniversary of Roe v Wade, announced a presidential memorandum on protection for abortion access
What is a Thomas Marshall quote about the limited role of the Vice President?
‘Once there were two brothers. One ran away to sea, the other was elected Vice President, and nothing was ever heard of them again’
NATURE OF THE PRESIDENCY
NATURE OF THE PRESIDENCY
What president won the highest % of the popular vote in the 21st century?
Obama in 2008 - 53%
What is the coattails effect?
The ability of a president to bring out supports for other members of his party due to his own popularity
What president was mocked for having a short coattails effect?
Donald Trump
How was Obama’s coattails effect shown in 2008?
The Democrats had a net gain of 8 seats in the Senate and 21 seats in the House
How many seats did the Democrats win in the Senate in 2008 and how many did they win in the House?
- 59 in Senate
- 257 in the House
What act was passed as a result of Obama’s huge popularity?
PPACA - Obamacare
How much did Clinton’s approval rating increase in the first quarter after the Monica Lewinsky scandal?
5.6%
What were Bush’s approval ratings following 9/11?
85%
How did Trump describe the response to Hurricane Maria, which killed 3000 people?
‘A great success’
How many government shutdowns were there under Trump?
2
What was the longest government shutdown under Trump, the longest in history?
35 days
What did Joe Biden sign with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on the 26th April 2023, which sends nuclear submarines to South Korea to deter North Korea?
The Washington Declaration
